“iPad_children_hands” by lottech

As a mother of a 9-year old child, I had this preconceived notion that constant use of the internet to go on sites such as YouTube and online games could impede my child’s social and cognitive skills development. Hence, I monitor my child’s internet activity and provide rules and guidelines. I still think providing rules and boundaries to internet activity are essential, but my rationale in doing so might be flawed. As the authors asserted in their studies, more research needs to be conducted on adolescents’ constant use of the internet and its impact on their well-being (Mills, 2016; George & Odgers, 2015). Mills (2016) stated that most studies on the impacts of the internet had been focused on a subgroup of adolescents that have demonstrated disordered internet use and these are the stories that make headlines. As a parent, consuming this type of news headlines can cause worry and fear in their child’s internet activity. After reading several articles expressing further studies should be conducted on the impact of screen time on a child’s health and well-being, my stance on this sensitive topic is shifting. I still think regulating internet usage on adolescents is vital to teaching self-discipline and self-regulation in this constant connectivity to the cyberspace; but my rationale is moving towards a balancing act between offline and online activities, rather than the notion of the negative impact of screen time.

References

George, M. J., & Odgers, C. L. (2015). Seven Fears and the Science of How Mobile Technologies May Be Influencing Adolescents in the Digital Age. Perspectives on psychological science: a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, 10(6), 832–851. doi:10.1177/1745691615596788

Mills, K. (2016).  Possible Effects of Internet Use on Cognitive Development in Adolescence. Media and Communication, 4(3), 4-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.17645/mac.v4i3.516